Path of Freedom [Vimuttimagga]

Introductory Discourse 3What is the group of virtue? It is Right Speech, Right Action, RightLivelihood and the like. Or the group of virtue is the merit-mass of diversevirtues.Whatis the group of concentration? It is Right Effort, Right Mindfulness,Right Concentration and the like. Or (the group of concentration is) themerit-mass of diverse forms of concentration.What is the gioup of wisdom? It is Right Understanding, Right Thoughtand the like. Or (the group of wisdom is) the merit-mass of diverse kinds ofwisdom. Thus these three groups are completed.THREE TRAININGSA man who acknowledges the Path of Freedom should be versed in thetriple training: the training of the higher virtue, 1 the training of the higherthought, 2 and the training of the higher wisdom. 3(It is said:) Virtue is the training of the higher virtue; concentration isthe training of the higher thought; wisdom is the training of the higherwisdom.And again (it is said:) There is virtue which is the training of virtue andthere is virtue which is the training of the higher virtue. There is concentration4 which is the training of thought and there is concentration which is thetraining of the higher thought. There is wisdom which is the training of wisdomand there is wisdom which is the training of the higher wisdom.Q. -What is the training of virtue? A. Indicated virtue 5 — this is calledthe training of virtue. Virtue partaking of penetration 6 — this is called thetraining of the higher virtue. Again, the virtue of the commoner —-this is.called the training of virtue. Ariyan virtue — this is called the training of thehighei virtue.Q. What is the training of thought? A. It is concentration pertainingto (the) sense (plane) 7 . Q. What is the training of the higher thought?A. It is concentration pertaining to (the) form (plane) 8 and (the) formless(plane) 9 . This is called the training of the higher thought. And again, indicatedconcentration 10 is the training of thought. Concentration partaking ofpenetration and concentration of the Path are called the training of thehigher thought.What is the training of wisdom? Worldly knowledge — this is called thetraining of wisdom. The four truths, (enlightenment) factors' knowledge 11and the knowledge of the Path-—these are called the training of the higherwisdom.The Blessed One expounded the training of the higher virtue to a man ofthe lower type, the training of the higher thought to a man of the middle typeand the training of the higher wisdom to a man of the higher type.1. Adhisilasikkhd. 2. Adhicittasikkhd. 3. Adhipanudsikkhd, 4. Lit. Samddhisikkhd.5. The virtue that can be appreciated by ordinary men. 6. Nibbedhabhdgiya. 1. Kamdvacarasamddhi. 8. Rilpdvacara samadhi. 9. Arupdvacara samadhi. 10. The concentrationthat can be appreciated by ordinary men. 11. Bodhipakkhiyadhatnma nana.